Hands on Learning
Greenhouse Montessori provides learning experiences for the students. The more alive and applicable learning is, the more it sticks with the child. We constantly include live animals, bugs, science experiments, and more.
Parts of the Animal
Greenhouse Montessori provides a live animal enrichment program. Every other Wednesday, a local farm brings animals for us to learn about, care for, and interact with. This program is an incredible way for kids to get up close and personal with animals such as horses, llamas, alpacas, sheep, rabbits, and other domesticated farm animals in a small setting. See the photo albums for pictures of the next best thing to having a farm. The kids and parents love this program.
As much time as we can spend outside, the better. Our facility is located on an acre lot, with much space to play, learn, and explore. During outdoor environment, parent volunteers are encouraged to help and the children have time to work outside doing classroom extensions, science, cooperative games, nature exploration, and more. We became a certified Nature Explore Classroom in 2015 with the Arbor Day Foundation. This certification recognizes a commitment to connecting children with nature.
Understanding our role in nature starts in our own backyard. Our garden has plenty of space to plant and harvest. We have several garden boxes for our vegetables as well as a few flower beds entirely planted by the children. For a child the see how one seed provides a feast is important at Greenhouse Montessori. They plant the seeds and are shown how the roots grow and the leaves sprout as they peacefully tend to the plants. Our sitting area within the garden yields to sounds of birds and many animals from the farm next door.
Other School Enrichment Opportunities
Family involvement makes such a difference in a community. We plan a family night once a month for our school community. These events include food, games, activities, and quality time spent together. It is very exciting for me to watch fathers holding babies that belong to another family, and the whole night of mingling that looks more like a family reunion than a school party. This is one of my favorite parts of our school.
Every week, Miss Renee comes to Greenhouse Montessori to provide a unique Music Program for the children. The program integrates different types of instruments, music & movement, music education, and more depending on the classroom level. Additionally, this program helps to coordinate performance opportunities throughout the year at different family events which allows the children to present what they have learned.
Showing children how to be good citizens and contributing members of society begins young. When children are given different ways that they can help others, it becomes a part of them. Numerous times throughout the year we participate in different events that show the students many ways to help others. From stuffing animals by hand for kids at Phoenix Children’s Hospital to making place mats for friends at the assisted living home, our students are familiar with ways to help make someone’s day brighter.
The children at Greenhouse have many opportunities to enjoy experiences outside of the classroom as well. Throughout the year, the teachers and parents come together to coordinate field trips to all kinds of different places from the pumpkin patch to cultural festivals. These trips encourage parent involvement, hands on learning, and memorable experiences. Connecting to our community in this way is an important aspect of Greenhouse Montessori.